//------------------------------// // Epilogue // Story: An odd family: The foundations. // by EdBoii //------------------------------// The Man of The Hour Laying on a warm bed amid a cold room inside a peaceful town, covered in blankets and bandages. There was a faint sound of hooves moving about outside of the room as nurses and doctors ran from patient to patient. There were four, and two were in very bad shape. Of ponies and pegasi the doctors knew much, both how to tend their wounds and how they would react to treatment. They expertly and accurately removed the pieces of shrapnel and wood that had stuck to their flesh and bone, careful not to harm veins and arteries as they skillfully moved about in the dance of life and death that was their profession. Outside of the rooms were these pegasi were treated, were their lives were to be saved from a most horrible happening, guards and police officers stood. Making certain the patients remained inside the rooms until their bodies would allow for transfer to more appropriate facilities. Facilities specialized in the housing and rehabilitation of convicted criminals. A fourth pegasus pony had already been sent to the Canterlot penitentiary for a two year penalty for violence and aggressiveness, as well as inharmonious behavior. All were severe charges, but the evidence was enough to confirm them. An injured townspony with ties to the local police, a mare from Fillydelphia sporting a black eye and several bruises, a pegasus from the weather patrol team claiming to having been ambushed. The total number of arrested ponies went up to eight, it was the largest scandal to have ever left the streets of Ponyville. Police forces were pressed by the media to release information, ponies panicked and began to send letters to their families and friends in Ponyville to assure themselves of their safety. It was chaos incarnate. The princess had to give a public speech to assure the populace that all inharmonious activity had ceased withing the territory of Ponyville, but it was not enough. A lockdown had to be called in when the masses demanded she made sure of the safety of all ponies. Nopony was allowed to either enter or leave the town for twenty four hours. Royal guards patrolled the streets and scanned the nearby woods were the assault had taken place. A large cottage in the outskirts of the forest was found, substantial amounts of evidence linking the captives to the infamous gang known as the 'Wingsters' was encountered within its walls. A ninth member of the gang was later identified through interrogation of the original captives, as a patient already inside of Ponyville's hospital, having been taken in after being found unconscious in an alley. It was too much for some of the residents, and they demanded stricter laws be passed. They pressed their ruler to assure their safety. So the great machine of politics was moved, greased by the complaints and demands of the hundreds of ponies who woke up one morning to see dozens of guards patrolling their streets. The largest cities found plenty of supporters for stronger reforms as well. If something so violent could occur in such a small town, what was to stop something worse from occurring in larger settlements? Political opposition to the rulers began to move contacts and allies, pressing for their own interests as the ponies of Equestria cried for safety. The reforms began to transform from mere suggestions into petitions and formal demands, and with the two princesses having their backs against the wall, there was no option but to comply. And so it happened. Police forces were bolstered, for the first time in hundreds of years. For it had not been for centuries that the peaceful land had needed stronger security, and had it not been for a certain someone, it never would have needed it. There, laying on said bed, was the harbinger of security for a world that had not needed it in a very long time. I opened my eyes, but found that one would not obey. So I raised my hand to feel what was wrong, but it would not move. I groaned in exasperation and tried to sit up, but I was incapable of but the smallest of movements. I was encased in bandages and in a very dizzy state. I had no memory of what had happened, nor did I remember how I had gotten to wherever I was. But one thing was clear in my mind, and that was the confused pain. Pain for not knowing what had happened, for not being sure if I had made it, and if I indeed made it. How did everyone react? Was I in prison for killing in self defense? My eye, the one and only that was able to look around, moved its gaze about the room, trying to make out any detail about even the smallest of things. Just to feel a purpose, just not feel so alone. But there was only darkness, deep and unrelenting darkness moved about me in complete silence. Never retreating, never dying, it moved like the waves of the calm seas along the shores, but without the comfort of it's sound. Through much effort and attempts, I finally managed to discern some form out of the blackness of the room. Lines and shapes began to take form before me, a table, a nightstand and chains on my foot. Not that I'd be able to go anywhere, not with my leg encased in a cast. I grimaced at the thought of having yet another bone broken, but decided it could not be helped and moved on to see what more I could find from my surroundings. It was a rather uninteresting room, yet it was oddly familiar. I had been there before, and in a not so different position. I groaned as the realization hit me, I was back in Ponyville's hospital being treated by wounds that I had inflicted upon myself by inflicting wounds upon others. It had become rather repetitive by now, getting hurt I mean, it lost its strangeness after a while. Eventually I closed my eye and made a quick check of everything I could still move and the stuff I couldn't. Eye? Check. Legs? Left one is useless. Arms? Right one is useless, the other one is chained to the bed. Everything else? Meh... Guess I can make do with several more bandages across my torso. All in all, I was in a shitpile of shit. But, what happened? I groaned and a stinging pain shot throughout my face, more specifically under the part of my face covered in bandages. I stared at the ceiling and forced my mind to remember, to recall anything and everything it could of the past events. Had it been yesterday? The air felt colder, much colder... It was like pushing through a barrier that could not be moved, like a wall of bricks that simply refused to budge. Looking through the fog in my memories proved impossible and I groaned in exasperation, the one leg that I could move kicked against the bed in a vain attempt to ease some of my frustration. The bed creaked and I bounced a little, but nothing was disturbed otherwise. "G-guys? A-an-anyone?" I stammered with words and my voice was dry and low, almost unnoticeable over the soft whispers of the wind that blew in almost nonexistent strength across the dark hospital room. But still a shape shifted in the darkness, stirred in the stillness and moved before my eye. "Iron?" I looked among the shadows for the source of the voice, I remembered that voice. It was soft and caring, yet it carried so much sadness in it, and resignation. She pulled herself out of a corner of the room, wearing the saddest eyes a soul can have. Red from weeping and dark from sleepless nights, she moved closer to me with a sad smile. I tried to return the gesture, but the bandages would not allow it. "H-hey Flint... What's up?" She cast her eyes over my broken body and bandaged wounds, looking on the verge of tears. But she was not weeping for me, not in its entirety at least. There was something else, something deeper. Her eyes finished their tour by looking into mine, and her smile vanished instantly. Flintlock looked like the most beautiful creature to ever be placed upon the earth, and thus it was painful for me to see her as she was. So sad and scared, not knowing of what she was scared of made it only worse, augmenting my own tears as they threatened to spill out of my eyes. "I'm... I'm so sorry..." She sniffed and covered her eyes with a hoof, trying in vain to hide herself as she wept yet again in front of me. It helped little that I had the feeling it wasn't the first time either. "So sorry, I... I didn't mean for this to happen! I..." "Hey, hey! It's ok, it wasn't your fault." Not much could be done to comfort her, as I lay badly mauled and incapable of movement as it was. But I still needed to let her know it had been my fault and not hers that I ended up as I was. "I... Shouldn't have ran off like I did... Should have waited, you know?" She shook her head rapidly, shaking and trembling. Her eyes were closed but the tears were obvious, her feelings and her guilt were apparent in the frame of everything as it fell together piece by piece. I knew nothing, and yet it was obvious. "It was the pistol!" She wept openly now, not caring for whoever heard her, not bothering to shield it anymore. "The... The barrel wasn't... It wasn't..." She closed in the remaining distance between us and hugged me as best as she could without harming me. I tried to hug her back but couldn't, so I just laid there, waiting and understanding. As the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place, and the golden mare showed her value. "I'm so sorry!" "Did the others... Well, you know." She looked up at me and shook her head softly, then wiped her eyes with her hoof. "They are on the upper floors, there were guards and police ponies... I... I just wanted to help, I didn't mean-" "Hey, it's ok. I'm ok, I just fell down the stairs, aye?" I tried to smile again but the bandages had opposing plans. She shook her head again and pressed a hoof to my bare cheek, lovingly moving it up and down while she looked me in the eye. "Iron, the pistol exploded when you pressed the trigger. Pieces of metal and wood went flying everywhere, you barely survived." She looked away and sniffed again, fighting hard to hold back the tears. "The bullet went through your hand and... It almost hit your eye..." My invisible smile wavered and I felt a chill run down my spine. I could have died. "What stopped it?" "When the pistol blew up the hammer smacked into your face, and the bullet hit that instead of your eye. It was deflected out of pure luck... I... I should have made it stronger! I didn't mean for this to-" "Hey! Stop that! It wasn't your fault." I would have frowned if not for obvious reasons. "Shit happens and people get fucked, that's how it goes. Nothing we can do about it." Flintlock nodded but remained unconvinced, she would blame herself for this all of her life, I was certain. But it had not been more of her fault than it had been mine. But I needed to know what had happened afterwards, badly. "So, tell me Flint... How much of a celebrity am I now?" Flintlock wiped her eyes once more and looked at me with concern, she smiled faintly but it was forced. "Turns out you were right, Iron... In the end you did manage to turn yourself into a hero of sorts. A new set of Equestrian security enforcement reforms are on their way. Ponies who have heard your story have even come to call it the 'Iron Reforms' since it's because of you that they are happening." I tried my best to look smug, but the question remained... "Why am I chained up then?" Flintlock lost the smile and looked at the floor sadly. "Inharmonious behavior, assault, shoplifting, indecent language and, well, the list goes on..." I gave a weak laugh, it was honest and uncaring. I was honestly expecting to be dead or something worse by now, so the charges seemed small enough. But Flint begged to differ. "Those are some very serious offences in Equestria, Iron. You can't expect to get out of this mess by throwing punches at everypony." Ouch. "Heh, it's worked so far!" Flintlock sighed and laid her head on my chest, trying to ignore everything and simply relax. The cool night air smelled oddly familiar, reminiscent of... Winter! Christmas! Holy shit how long had I been out?! "Hey Flint, how long has it been since my accident at the woods?" "Hearth's warming eve is coming up... I guess it's been about a month and a half." My eye widened. A whole fucking month and a half?! I must have been starving! "Hey Flint?" "Yeah?" "Are there any leftovers from that lettuce with dressing I stole the other day?" Flintlock facehooved and shook her head. "No Iron, I doubt it would be any good by now anyway..." "Oh, ok then." "Good night, I'm going to catch some sleep." "Ok, ok. I'll do that too." Flintlock smiled and left the room, walking slowly and without hurry. She was finally at peace with herself, knowing that I was, somewhat, ok. Seeing her calm eased my heart and gave me the peace required to drift off into sleep, knowing most things had turned out alright. A week later. The week had gone by, nothing out of the ordinary happened, not at all. Just the usual, you know, cops walking in and out of the room as soon as they were told I was in shape for visiting. They showed me pictures of the captured pegasi, they asked me questions with little respite and in the end they decided to read me my rights and all that bullshit. Cops or no cops, it didn't matter. The week had been quite good for me, Pinkie and Applejack visited with the kids and briefed me on the situation of the world around me. Needless to say, the whole thing was the largest pile of shit to have ever graced the land of pony. The town had calmed down a little after the whole thing passed, regular life resumed its course and ponies began once more to take to the streets without much worry. I was quite surprised to hear about the exaggerated precautions everyone took just because of the fight. Sure, sure, nine ponies arrested for some pretty high charges in Equestrian standards, the only human ever being the tenth captive and several other stuffs and whatnot... Still a complete exaggeration to get the goddamn army involved if you ask me. And the kids? Well, imagine my surprise! Aquilder was hovering! He couldn't fly yet but still! He was the first to burst into the hospital room, batting his little eagle wings while keeping himself a few feet above the floor. Too bad he couldn't land very well, he had to improvise a landing track out of my bandaged stomach... The other little ones weren't much more different, Lightshine was taller, and her hair had gotten longer. She couldn't talk as of yet, but she made the most adorable little sounds whenever she wanted something, therefore she pretty much always got what she wanted. Unless it was a dangerous object, of course. In that case she just took it and we had to tempt her with something else so she would drop it. Ectorius was a shy one though, he kept quiet mostly and obeyed really well. Never gave trouble that one, and he behaved better than the other two. Which was odd, considering that Lightshine used to be the well behaved one. But generally, yeah, no complaints from the little minotaur. No complaints except his excessive strength! He could lift a wooden chair, twice his size, for a full three seconds before getting tired... He was just a calf! That's like asking a grown man to lift a car above his waist! Fun times were had by all whenever the little ones came along. Turns out being a suspect for criminal activity didn't negate your right to have visitors in Equestria, although I'm not sure how that worked back in earth. I was somewhat surprised that the police was giving me as much freedom as I could have inside the hospital room. I still had to remain inside and I couldn't get out of bed yet, but other than that I was fine. The food sucked, but I had gotten used to that, and the cold was beginning to bite but not more than usual. All in all, my hospital days went fine. What had me worried was what was going to happen after they were over. Locking Horns With Royalty I stood before the town hall, waiting by its front door with three guards making sure I did not escape. My hands and feet were not bound, I had no chains and no shackles. I was waiting for my sentence, waiting for my destiny and fate. Behind the gates lay what I supposed was the answer to all the questions and the result of all my actions. "Where are we going?" I had asked. "The Princess wants to see you." The guard had replied. It was time, it had been delayed too much now that I think about it. I was bound to meet the sovereign of this colorful pony land of pony. And I better make a good first impression too, who knows! If I played my cards right... You know what? Last time I said that, everything ended up as shit, so I'm not saying it... Let the whole thing follow its course and lets see where it goes. The doors opened and a scrawny looking pony stepped out, wearing glasses and looking more like a squirrel than a pony, he quietly whispered something to the guard and then retreated back inside, giving me the most terrified look I had seen all day. Even the guards seemed a tad nervous around me. "We're going inside, please follow." The guard to my right said, not looking at me, not giving me a glance. He simply said it while looking forward. I was still wearing the bandage across my face, covering the place where the hammer had hit me. It was badly swollen but nothing out off this world, I would survive. My right arm was still bandaged, and that was a true cause for concern. Turns out the bullet had jammed inside the cannon of the gun, that's why you shouldn't shoot stones kids! No matter how smooth they seem... Anyway, the thing got stuck, and when the gunpowder blew off, it got unstuck. Sadly it was sent flying on the wrong direction... Some shit about the gunpowder getting in front of the bullet when I dropped it apparently happened, and the fucking stone went backwards... My hand happened to be in the way of the bullet. No fingers lost, no worries there... I did lose the ability to move the two smallest ones though... They're just sitting there like a pair of lazy assholes... Nothing to worry about! Not at all! Not going to miss my very own fucking fingers... My leg had broke though, badly... Right below the knee and my shoulder was almost dislocated from the impact during the fight, it wouldn't be as strong ever again. But still worked! So there's that... I didn't lose my eye however, and that is very good news. I nodded my head and followed the guards inside the large wooden doors to the town hall. There, waiting for us by the middle of the room, was the princess of Equestria. Dark coated with a blue mane, flowing freely with stars shining across it. Her mark was that of a moon, and her posture signaled royalty and commanded respect. She waited for us to advance. And so we did. The guards moved forward and I followed. Flintlock, Snowflake and Blue Skies were sitting before the princess, waiting for us. She looked beautiful, like always, if not a bit tired and somewhat frightened. Snowflake was determined, looking ready to accept whatever the punishment was, though I doubt he would encounter much trouble since he was an unofficial agent of the princess. Skies was looking somewhat down, but not ashamed. Snowflake had made a good choice when he picked the guy for the job. He was tough, and didn't fear the consequences of doing what he thought correct. Whether it had been correct or not was yet to be decided though... The Princess looked at us, assessing each and everyone. Her eyes widened in surprise as she saw me, but not too much. She still maintained the air of command that one would expect from royalty. All four of us stood before her, awaiting her judgement. In the end she spoke. "Are thee aware of the charges by which you are held captive?" We nodded, all four of us had a guard read our charges before being lead to our meeting with the princess. We knew the size of the whip with which they planned to slash us, and while it was rather stupid to think a brawl would get you into so much trouble back on earth, here in ponyland it was reason enough for a month of banishment to some prison or island they liked to call 'The Moon'. The dark princess rested her eyes on Snowflake, looking at him inquisitively. Something told me this wasn't the first time he had been brought before authority. "Snowflake FrozenField, would thou deem it correct to address thee as the head of this... ethnically diverse conglomerate?" Snowflake nodded once and sat up straighter, keeping his eyes down so as to avoid direct eye contact with the princess. All of my 'accomplices' seemed rather intimidated by their sovereign. And you know what they say, when in Rome... I lowered my eyes and stared at the floor as well, expecting to hear some sort of hollering like you see in bootcamps in movies. I'm not sure why, but it seemed fitting for some reason. "Very well then, explain to us the happenings and their importance by which thou hath committed such deeds." The princess spoke once more, pointing a hoof at the solemn stallion. "Bother with lies and embellishments not, for we have aplenty of eyewitness declarations." And so he did. The pegasus that I had come to call a friend spoke shortly and truthfully, narrating the dire situations his militia had faced. Snowflake revealed before me and the others more than he had originally intended to. "We caught wind of the Wingsters seeking aid from... Discord." He stated dryly, being blunt and to the point. The princess narrowed her eyes and leaned closer. "How certain art thou?" "Very. Sparks Cloud was frustrated after we first drove his influence out of Ponyville by alerting the police of his operations on the western side of town, so he turned to darker allies... We don't know to which extent he has come to agreement with Discord, but we do know he redoubled his efforts to take west of Ponyville afterwards, and that during the Canterlot wedding incident while the elements of harmony were away, several of our members became ill with cutie pox and poison joke related illnesses. If it hadn't been for a zebra called Zecora, our guys would've been out for much longer than a few days." I pretended not to be surprised, but it was hard not to be. Discord had been helping the Wingsters all along? And yet he helped me beat them? He was one fucked up individual if he had no ulterior motives for this whole shit... Flintlock and Skies were surprised to hear this as well, but not to my extent. The shock they received from the news of Discord teaming up with the Wingsters was not on a personal level, unlike me. The mare and weather pony looked at Snowflake briefly before stealing a quick glance to the princess, awaiting her response. She maintained her piercing gaze on Snowflake for a while, assessing his words, weighing their veracity. In the end she sighed and rubbed her temple with a hoof, easing a building headache, before speaking a tad more softly and with less intensity and royal firmness. "And the... Human... How did matters unfold for his participation to become necessary in these events?" "He's a fighter, a strong one too. We needed as much help as we could get to push the Wingsters back if they tried any funny business in Ponyville." I nodded once and made a mental note to thank Snowflake for the praise. "Business, you say? Like a harmless gathering at the local pub?" She arched an eyebrow and looked at Snowflake expectantly. "Do forgive us, but we fail to see the threat in such trivialities." Snowflake hung his head, not sure how to reply to that. I on the other hand, believed that my silence had lasted too long. "They were planning something, besides, they were all wanted ponies, right? Where's the harm?" I smiled and all three other ponies flinched. The princess looked at me neutrally and replied in a cold manner, that which leaves no room for argument. "Four thousand bits, that was the amount of harm caused to the establishment." So much burn... "The bounty on their heads payed for that quite well, I even heard they got some extra compensation." Skies almost fainted, Flintlock nudged me in the ribs to shut up and Snowflake shook his head rapidly at me while grimacing. "Dost thou believe that to be reason enough for thy deeds to go unpunished? Our subjects might have been injured or mistreated because of thine acts, such misdeeds shall not go without proper consequences." She kept a calm demeanor throughout the speech, but it was clear she was getting angry. Between the political reforms and demands, Discord aiding a criminal organization, a human getting into several brawls against said organization, and getting back talked, she must have been quite adept at not getting pissed off! I locked my eyes on her's and kept the stare long enough to be defiant, but not too long so as to be insolent, then I broke eye contact and nodded, waiting for her verdict. The princess cleared her throat and a guard approached with a scroll in his mouth. The princess took a hold of it with her magic and unrolled it, the thing falling for several inches before stopping. "Flintlock Dust of Fillydelphia, accused of theft, fighting, condoning unharmonious behavior, and executing such behavior. How dost thou declare thine self of these charges?" Flintlock wiped a hoof across her face and looked at the princess pleadingly. "I...I'm sorry..." "Answer our question." I took a step closer to the mare beside me and placed my hand on her shoulder. "She had nothing to do with-!" "Be silent! Answer us or all charges shall be regarded as true." The dark princess did not shout nor did she raise her voice, but the strength and power behind each word was more than enough to silence the wind itself. I had no power there. Flintlock wiped a few more tears from her eyes and held my hand with her hoof. I held her tighter and she reciprocated the act by pressing with more strength. She gained the strength to speak. "Guilty..." The sovereign nodded and then looked at Snowflake and Skies. She read them their charges. "...accused of fighting, condoning unharmonious behavior, and executing such behavior. How dost thou declare thine selfs of these charges?" Both exchanged a quick glance with everyone before replying. "Guilty." They both said at the same time. Then she looked at me, no despise in her gaze, no anger and no prejudice. Simple neutrality was all one could find in her eyes. I could respect that impartiality. "Iron Galley, of origins unknown. Human in species as it is speculated by thine own testimonials. Thou art accused of multiple acts of assault, theft, condoning of unharmonious behavior, inciting unharmonious behavior, executing unharmonious behavior, threatening innocent civilians, utilizing foul language in public spaces, utilizing fear as a means to acquire thine goals,utilizing illegal and alien weaponry to wound and injure the residents of Equestria as well as manufacturing such weaponry in Equestrian territory. How dost thou declare yourself of these charges?" "Culpable, guilty." The princess arched an eyebrow but said nothing about my statement, instead she rolled the scroll and addressed us once more. "Art thou repented of thine acts?" That was the question. The real question at hand, and the only one that mattered. A smart man would say yes and get to kissing some serious ass so he could be free, but I never considered myself as overly smart. Surprisingly however, it was not I who first spoke. "No..." Flintlock Dust, the mare who had so many a time suggested we do as we're told and back down. She had done so all her life and lived by the wishes of others. And yet there she stood. "I don't regret anything about the past days." She held my hand tighter as she said so, looking at the floor with a determined gaze, not a trace of the quivering gal from before. "Neither do I." Snowflake smiled at us and gave a salute. "IRON, IT HAS BEEN AN HONOR! FLINT, SKIES, NEVER HAD BETTER FRIENDS IN ALL MY YEARS!" Flint and I smiled back and I returned the salute. Skies looked from us and back to the princess, confused. In the end he sighed and sent it to hell. "Oh well, guess we'll meet again on the moon... I didn't do much, but of what I did do, I hold no regrets of." The princess's eyes were wide, but not with anger. She was surprised. Judging by her strength in rule, and her decisive attitude, few must have been those who would actually oppose her. She turned to look at me, awaiting my response. I nodded and smiled at all my comrades. "The only thing of which I could hold any regrets, is of not having more time to do it again." The princess nodded and for once seemed at a loss for words. She no doubt had something prepared for a trio of remorseful ponies, and maybe a not so regretful human. But with all of the prisoners refusing to repent, she would either have to relent or deliver. "Very well, Blue Skies, Snowflake FrozenField, Iron Galley, and Flintlock Dust. Thy punishments shall be dictated respectively." The princess looked at Skies and Snowflake first. "Mr. Skies shall be fined for five hundred bits and will have to report for community service twice a week for a period of five months." Skies sighed with relief as his sentence proved lighter than expected, but then he frowned in confusion. "Mr. FrozenField will be fined for one thousand five hundred bits and be under home arrest for a period of six months." Snowflake nodded and shared Skies's look of confusion. "Mr. Galley, it has come to our attention that, due to particular singularities in thine case, we cannot force thee to pay an exuberant sum of money nor can thou remain in home arrest. Which would normally require for us to send thee to a rehabilitation center for the dangerous and unstable. But we cannot do such a thing either because of thine... Wards." I nodded and waited for her to explain her solution. "Due to the previously stated reasons, we have decided along with our sister and legal counsel, that thou shalt be restricted to the area surrounding the settlement known as Ponyville. Not to leave and meant to coexist peacefully with the inhabitants within, under the guidance and supervision of the elements of harmony. Thou shalt be required to write a monthly report on thy understandings and lessons assimilated during your time amongst ponies, thine reports must be relevant to a harmonious existence and support the thesis that humans can coexists with equines." "A special tax will be placed upon thee to be paid by the end of each and every month with no exceptions, as soon as thy economic stability is ensured and balanced. Should thou fail to live harmoniously or to pay the tax, thou shalt be sent to prison upon thine ward's reaching maturity." Well, I was honestly expecting execution sooo... Hooray? No, seriously though, I was fucked. The princess then moved her gaze to the last one on the naughty list, Flintlock. "Miss Dust, thou shalt be returned to Fillydelphia to serve a lapse of six months of home arrest, as well as pay a fine for the sum of a thousand bits. Court is adjourned, sentence is to commence tomorrow at midday. Violators will be prosecuted, and new sentences assigned. Please make arrangements as needed beforehand so as to avoid unnecessary inconvenience." And so we were dismissed. But not a minute before leaving the building, a courier flew towards us, rolled up scroll without a seal in mouth. The scroll had one sentence, and no signature: Consider thy selfs fortunate that Sparks Cloud happened to be a notorious enough criminal so as to allow thy punishments to be not as severe as they ought to be. And so we departed. Not to see each other for the rest of the day, till the morrow and new day come. When our lives as free men ad equines would end and give way to the challenges of a new life, one of confined freedom for as long as it may take to cleanse our beings to the eyes of the populace. Snowflake swore to never give up, Skies promised to meet us for drinks. And flintlock vowed to return, to come back and see us all once more. To see me yet again and continue with what was left unfinished. I needed to be threatened not, for I would wait for her in Ponyville for as long as needed. In the glum of the evening and the cold of winter winds, I departed to Applejack's home, were my destiny was set. For I had not failed nor had I wasted time and strength. The land was safe now, through much damage and sacrifice we finally achieved our goal. The reforms were in place and the leader of our foes was in prison, my sons and daughters were now safe from their schemes. "And bitches thought violence never solved anything... Pft! Although it was quite a good thing none of my injuries were lethal... Though I'm not entirely certain about being bathed by a zebra while I was asleep because of a plant..." Having gone to the orchard and carried my wards back to the house in the woods, were it all was decided, were my fight finally brought conclusion to it all, I was enjoying a hard earned mug of cider by the fire. Aquilder and Ectorius were playing in their room, the one downstairs. Lightshine sat beside me, quiet and tranquil after munching on an apple. The house was small, one kitchen one living room, and one bedroom with a bathroom. But it would do, as simple as it was. It was home.